DuBOIS – For the Uplingers of DuBois, the sport of hunting and an overall love for nature is a family affair.

Kassie Uplinger said for as long as she can remember, she has enjoyed being in the woods. Her father, Dale Uplinger, got she and her brother, Hunter, into hunting at a young age. Since he was a kid himself, Dale has loved to hunt, something he shared with his father, who bought him a recurve bow at 12 years old.

Besides his favorite, turkey hunting, Dale enjoys fishing and other types of hunting, and has an interest in firearms, something Kassie shares with him. She recalled taking a hunter safety course around the age of 8 or 9 and starting out hunting small game. She also served on a local rifle team.

Hunting has just always been “a family thing.” When Kassie shot her first turkey in 2016, her brother and father were by her side.

“He enjoys teaching and helping people learn these kinds of things,” she said. “My dad is there for every adventure with us.”

A passion she shares alongside her father, Kassie says she loves the noises she hears while in the woods, like turkey gobbles.

“It’s so exciting,” she said.

Things slowed down for Dale in the last couple of years prior to having surgery in fall 2023. He wasn’t able to hunt as hard as he used to, said Kassie, which was a tough thing for everyone. He was afraid about not being able to hunt and return to work, both of which he has achieved since his surgery.

“He’s just happy to be hunting in the woods,” Kassie said, noting how rewarding it has been to watch Dale back in his full outdoor glory. “He lives for turkey season.”

One can just see the joy and excitement on his face when he’s doing what he loves, she said. In fact, he hauled a turkey out of the woods in Clearfield County in May of this year.

She also recalled when her brother shot a bear in October 2020, which of course, Dale was right there beside him for the photo and celebration. Although their mother is not a hunter, Kassie noted that she is a big supporter of the family’s passion for the sport.

The family’s love for nature doesn’t stop there. Kassie is an up-and-coming wildlife photographer in the area, having a particular passion for taking photos of elk. She won both the 2024 Straub Oktoberfest Bier Can Label Contest and the 2025 Keystone Elk Country Alliance (KECA) raffle calendar contest, both for striking photos of elk in the wild.

Photography is another hobby Kassie and Dale enjoy together. He still has a 35mm film camera, as well as one his father brought back from Germany when he served in the U.S. Army. Both of them take photos and videos during hunting season, she said, and Dale will drive her around to different locations for photography opportunities. She recalled seeing her first turkey fight this year, which she captured on video.

She enjoys seeing and capturing wildlife through different stages and seasons, such as when elk are shedding and in velvet. The Uplingers also enjoy following turkeys around to “get the full cycle.”

Kassie said her father has “a drive” to use everything his father passed down to him, something that he has carried on himself with his own children.

“My dad is my biggest supporter.”